Continuity Element for Seamless Content Delivery Session Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current content delivery systems experience significant downtime and poor user experience when switching between unsynchronized computing devices during content delivery interruptions, as they require full retune and reconfiguration, leading to pauses in media playback.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a continuity element in data files, such as MPD files, that enables seamless switching between sources by maintaining perceptual continuity, security, and service continuity, allowing users to continue playback with minimal interruption by using existing buffer segments and security elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If geographically distributed transcoders and computing devices are used to mitigate failures, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments content delivery across multiple geographically distributed transcoders and computing devices (e.g., locations in Colorado and New York). Each segment operates independently with its own transcoder and computing device, allowing failure isolation while maintaining overall system reliability through distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
A synchronization mechanism acts as an intermediary between unsynchronized computing devices and transcoders. This mediator enables seamless switching between devices during failures by managing the coordination and state transfer, reducing the complexity burden on individual components while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If full retune and reconfiguration is performed during content delivery interruption, then service continuity is restored, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Buffer segments are pre-loaded and prepared in advance during normal operation. When a failure occurs, these pre-buffered segments are immediately available for playback without requiring real-time retune or reconfiguration, significantly reducing downtime while restoring service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system skips the traditional full retune and reconfiguration process by directly switching to backup computing devices using pre-synchronized states. This rushes through the failure recovery process by eliminating unnecessary intermediate steps, reducing downtime from 15-20 seconds to a minimal duration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If unsynchronized computing devices are used for content delivery, then adaptability is improved, but reliability worsens due to inability to switch seamlessly
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the synchronization parameter from full state synchronization to partial segment synchronization. Computing devices maintain independence (adaptability) while synchronizing only critical playback segments and metadata (MPD files) needed for seamless switching (reliability). This parameter adjustment allows both unsynchronized operation for flexibility and synchronized switching for reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A first computing device may receive an indication of a second computing device. The first computing device may determine a continuity element based on a continuity between a representation of a content item located at the first computing device and a representation of the content item located at the second computing device. The first computing device may generate a data file associated with the content item. The data file may include a reference to the second computing device and the continuity element. The first computing device may receive a request for the content item from a user device. The first computing device may send the data file to the first computing device.